
Spanish story with translation · B1 · 17 lines
Me puse roja como un tomate I turned as red as a tomato
Comic · 16 panels

¡Hola, Lucía! Me preguntas qué tal la entrevista de ayer. Pues no te lo vas a creer.
Hi, Lucía! You're asking me how yesterday's interview went. Well, you're not going to believe it.

Llegué media hora antes, con mi mejor chaqueta y muy motivada: quería causar buena impresión.
I arrived half an hour early, in my best jacket and very motivated: I wanted to make a good impression (woman speaking).

En la sala donde esperábamos había cinco candidatos más, todos muy serios y muy profesionales.
In the room where we were waiting, there were five other candidates, all very serious and very professional.

A mi lado se sentó una mujer muy amable y, como yo estaba nerviosa, me puse a hablar con ella.
A very nice woman sat down next to me, and since I was nervous, I started talking to her (woman speaking).

Le conté que apenas había dormido y que tenía miedo de no entender las preguntas.
I told her that I had hardly slept and that I was afraid of not understanding the questions.

También le dije que había leído en internet que la jefa de recursos humanos era muy exigente.
I also told her that I had read online that the head of human resources was very demanding.

Ella se rio y me dijo que lo importante era estar tranquila.
She laughed and told me that the important thing was to stay calm (woman speaking).

Diez minutos después me llamaron. Entré en la sala donde hacían las entrevistas y… ¡allí estaba ella!
Ten minutes later they called me. I went into the room where they were doing the interviews and… there she was!

La mujer con quien había hablado era Silvia Vidal, la jefa de recursos humanos. ¡La persona a quien yo había llamado «exigente»!
The woman I had talked to was Silvia Vidal, the head of human resources. The person I had called "demanding"!

Me puse roja como un tomate. Pero ella me dijo que lo que más valoraba en un candidato era la sinceridad.
I turned as red as a tomato. But she told me that what she valued most in a candidate was sincerity (woman speaking).

Después todo salió mejor. Me preguntó por mi formación, por mi experiencia y por lo que podía aportar al equipo.
After that, everything went better. She asked me about my education, my experience and what I could bring to the team.

Una vez no entendí lo que me preguntaba: pensé que hablaba de otras empresas. Pero me lo explicó con otras palabras.
Once I didn't understand what she was asking me: I thought she was talking about other companies. But she explained it to me in other words.

Me contó que buscaban a una persona creativa, con capacidad para resolver problemas y con interés por aprender.
She told me they were looking for a creative person, with the ability to solve problems and an interest in learning.

En cuanto al salario, no es muy alto. Lo mejor es el sitio: una empresa grande donde puedes desarrollar tu carrera.
As for the salary, it's not very high. The best thing is the place: a big company where you can develop your career.

No sé si destaqué entre tantos candidatos. De todas formas, esa primera impresión no la va a olvidar nunca.
I don't know if I stood out among so many candidates. Anyway, she's never going to forget that first impression.

Me llamarán la semana que viene. Mientras tanto, ¡cruza los dedos por mí!
They'll call me next week. In the meantime, cross your fingers for me!
Un beso, Ana.
Love, Ana.
Grammar for this text
Ana is telling Lucía about yesterday, so what people said is in the past: me dijo que lo importante era…, le conté que apenas había dormido… (reported speech, unit 14).
Donde: la sala donde esperábamos — the room where we were waiting; una empresa grande donde puedes desarrollar tu carrera — a big company where you can develop your career (puedes isn't about Lucía here: it's "you" in general, as in English).
Con quien, a quien — about a person, after a preposition: la mujer con quien había hablado — the woman I had talked to; la persona a quien yo había llamado «exigente» — the person I had called "demanding".
Lo que: lo que más valoraba — what she valued most; por lo que podía aportar — about what I could bring.
Lo importante, lo mejor — the important thing, the best thing.
Esa primera impresión no la va a olvidar nunca — she's never going to forget that first impression. The object comes first to stress it, and then a pronoun must repeat it: la = esa primera impresión. English doesn't do this.
Me preguntó por mi formación — she asked me about my education: preguntar por — to ask about something.
No te lo vas a creer — you're not going to believe it. Cruza los dedos — cross your fingers: a way to ask someone to wish you luck.
Words and grammar of the unit: Talk about yourself at a job interview.
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